This isle is full of noises

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Rachel Russell
Bottom's Dream Arts
The Present Company
Non-union production (closed)
Review by David Mackler

The storm at the beginning of Bottom's Dream Arts' production
of The Tempest was a terrific piece of staging ("storm
choreography" by Kristin Heruth), as the playing area
became a tempest-tossed ship, and the passengers were buffeted
by the wind and rain. Shakespeare's lines were not easily heard,
but the sense and mood were clearly conveyed. Characters got washed
theatrically "overboard," and it was easy to see how
they would have been extremely grateful to set foot on land.

The rest of the play didn't live up to this imaginitive beginning,
but director Rachel Russell used some excellent directorial
touches to make the proceedings interesting. They mostly involved
Ariel (Rachel Scott) who was variously played as seductress,
temptress, seducer, spy, manipulator, and was beautifully musical
as well. When she sang the lines where Ferdinand (Dominick
Costello) was introduced, the magical quality of the words
was intensified; when Ariel and the other sprites (Cathleen
Charleson, Macy Halford, Debby Hall) were draped around the
sides of the stage observing the action, the "nature"
noises they made instigated action, as well as commented on it.

Some modern elements were introduced -- Miranda (Alithea Hages),
who had never seen a man other than her father Prospero (David
L. Greenwood), was played with a quivering awareness of her
sexual attraction to Ferdinand -- her newly experienced feelings
were all at the surface (as as when she was moved by the plight
of those on board the ship). Prospero was plainly distressed as
he realized he was losing control of his teenage daughter. (They
could almost be a suburban father and daughter at the mall.)

Caliban (Guy Lancaster), usually played as the dark side
of Prospero's psyche, was interpreted here as massively unhappy
and needy, yet played for comedy, not sorrow. His connection to
Prospero seemed tenuous, though, so their conflict wasn't well-realized.

Stephano (Victor Khodadad) and Trinculo (Christopher
Sheller) were the comic scene-stealers they always are, incorporating
physical humor with a well-worn familiarity. Sebastian (Lee
Coleman) and Antonio (Keith Allaway) started as snide
bystanders, but soon slid into villany; Gonzalo (Tom White)
was played as an old windbag; the Alonzo of Demosthenes Chrysan
seemed excessively distraught. Greenwood's Prospero, though, was
a disappointment, not sufficiently imposing in manner or word
for him to have the magical powers Shakespeare describes.